Descendants of Odisha’s Lanjigarh king in dire straits

Their names being dropped from the list of ration cards issued under National Food Security Act (NFSA) has put question marks on the survival of the 90-year-old Atanga Mani Singh, the widow of the scion of the erstwhile king of Odisha’s Lanjigarh, and her differently-abled grandson.

Once a self-sufficient and developed province, the descendants of the last king of Lanjigarh Maharaja Maheshwari Prasad Singh Deo are in a pitiable condition today.

Maheshwari Prasad Singh Deo was very popular among his subjects for undertaking numerous welfare projects. He was known for his love of art, literature and culture. Post his demise, the Lanjigarh dynasty suffered a steady decline in their wealth so much so that the descendants are now leading a life of a pauper.

After the death of the scion Laxmi Narayan Singh Deo, his widow was forced to sell off their land and the royal palace is in a shambles. Today the family is forced to survive on Rs 300 widow pension provided by the state government.

The failing financial condition has stopped them from completing the house provided to them under the ‘Mo Kudia’ scheme by the government. It is in this half built broken hut where the nonagenarian and her differently-abled grandson are leading a miserable life and are waiting for succour from government.